When can you get a better rental deal?

Getting a better deal on rent is something every tenant looks for, and it seems it all comes down to which season you sign on for a lease.

An analysis of supply and demand rent data from realestate.com.au shows some seasons favour renters and others favour landlords.

Depending on where you live, which party has the upper hand in which season can vary dramatically.

See what rental demand is like in your suburb in winter:

Which season is better for renters?

REA Group Chief Economist Nerida Conisbee says when there are fewer people looking for a rental property, tenants are can get a better deal.

“The best time to rent is generally when there are fewer people in the market relative to listings. This means that you have greater choice in places to rent, as well as a greater ability to negotiate rental levels,” she says.

In the Australian Capital Territory, Western Australia, Tasmania, South Australia, Queensland and New South Wales the negative percentage difference in the winter months means that demand is low and supply is high.

This is more likely to favour renters as landlords will find it harder to get a tenant.

In Tasmania the best time of year to get a great rental deal is during autumn and winter when demand drops dramatically.

“Tasmania’s particularly cold weather is likely to be a deterrent for people searching in winter so it may be possible to get a good deal at this time,” Conisbee says.

“Tasmania showed the highest levels of variability. In Spring, this state sees particularly high levels of demand compared to other times of the year.”

In summer, rental markets in New South Wales and Victoria experienced percentage difference declines with numbers in negative territory, making it the ideal time for a renter to find a better deal.

The analysis looked at the fluctuation as the percentage increase or decrease compared to overall supply and demand in rental properties between 1 January 2013 until 31 December 2015,.

Rental demand by suburb

At an individual suburb level, the fluctuations in demand and supply are even more pronounced.

Novar Gardens in South Australia is the suburb which sees the greatest fluctuations in terms of rental demand and supply in all of Australia.

From February through to August, the percentage difference between demand and supply goes from -3.22% to -45.79%. This favours renters and means tenants are more likely to get a better deal.

Whereas January, September, October and November are months when the percentage difference is positive which favours landlords who can afford to be pickier about tenants applying for a lease at this time.

In Queens Park in inner-city Sydney, the percentage difference drops dramatically in March, July and December yet rises again in October and January.

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So given the rise in January, renters could well get a better deal in December when the percentage difference between supply and demand is -21.76%.

In Abbotsford in inner-city Melbourne, the colder months of the year see the percentage difference in demand change from -3.6% to -24.68%.

If you want a great deal on rent in that area, it’s best to try and secure a lease between May and September.

Some of the fluctuations seen at a suburb level are related to seasonal demand, says Conisbee.

“Carlton North, a Melbourne suburb popular with university students, sees higher demand in Summer, just before the university year begins,” she says.

Hilton in Perth also has dramatic fluctuations in rental demand across the year.

In Hilton from January to June conditions favour landlords as the percentage difference ranges from 5.23% to 29.79%. This means there are a lot of renters looking for a place and there is more competition.

But between July and December, demand falls into negative territory which favours renters and means landlords may struggle to find a tenant.

Over in Dutton Park in Queensland, demand his high in hotter months of the year favouring landlords but from May even until December renters have a much better chance of getting a great rental deal.

During those months, the percentage difference drops from-0.45% to -20.93% which means if you are renter you are probably better off trying to sign a lease in the cooler months of the year.

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